9th ASEAN Forum on migrant labour held in Nay Pyi Taw

The National Tripartite Preparatory Meeting of the 9th AFML was opened in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday, with the opening address by U Thein Swe, Union Minister for Labor, Immigration and Manpower and Mr Rory Mungoven, Liaison Officer of (ILO-Yangon).
The meeting was held with the aim of sharing results received from previous preparatory meetings over 8th AFML’s suggestions and related work process under way. Under the declaration on promotion and protection of rights of migrant workers in the ASEAN region laid down by 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on July 2007, migrant workers will enjoy the rights of progress of their lives.
“It is the key objective of migration for those workers and their families who abandoned their places for better living conditions to enjoy favourable rights, “said the Union minister.
“These included some complicated migrations. Some migrant labourers became scapegoats in economic and social matters due to the consequences of economic crisis. Now we are implementing national work to create jobs and business for citizens residing in the nation and foreign returnee workers very soon,” he added.
Emergence of modernised Labour Law, promotion of their lives in compliance with international standards are under discussion among the government, entrepreneurs, labour organisations and aligned parties,” said the Union Minister.
Mr Rory Mungoven said, “For the emergence of Code of Conduct, ILO gave technical aid and it was signed by over 90 out of 250 Inland Authorized Companies seeking employment in foreign countries.”
At the ceremony, U Htoo Chit of the Foundation for Education and Development, U Saw Khu of International Resource Committee and U Moe Gyo of Joint Action Committee for Burmese Affairs accepted scholarship stipends — 10,000 baht each for their offspring presented by the Union Minister.
In the afternoon, labour representatives led by U Myo Aung, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry, responsible officials from ASEAN migrant labour organisation, CTUM, MOEAF and tripartite.
“Current situation of social protection of migrant workers in ASEAN” and “Working towards the portability of social security of migrant workers in ASEAN” will be discussed in the meeting and the results which will come out will be submitted to the 9th AFML meeting, it is learnt. There are 350 million working population in ASEAN region 15 million, of which are migrants, according to the statistics.— Myanmar News Agency